Heating element



Oct. 9, 1956 G. A. cHAusTowlcH 2,766,367

HEATING ELEMENT Filed May 2, 1955 2 sheeS-sheet 1 TEE- E INVENTOR.

@Q5/WAY ,4. cwasraW/c/f 0d. 9, 1956 G. A. cHAUsTowlcH HEATING ELEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 2, 1955 INVENTOR. S45/WA4 ,4, c//aJrOW/of/ BY HEATING ELEMENT Gabriel A. Chaustowich, Highland Park, Mich., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Dripban Corpo ration, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application May 2, 1955', SerialNo. 505,487

3 Claims. ((Cl. 219-41) This invention relates to an electric heating element.

An .object is to provide an electric heating element par- -ticularly designed `for use to heat the water in a toilet tank from a low temperature to a Itemperature which will inhibit condensation zon the outer surface of the tank.

One of the known disadvantages of a household plumbing system where the Water is supplied from an outdoor well at a low temperature s that the toilet .tank is subject 4to condensation forming thereon in warm summer weather. Apparatus in `the form of drip pans has been provided which is secured below the toilet tanks to collect such condensation `and these .pans are either drained to a suitable outlet or Sponges are provided with which the water collecting therein can be picked up. Such practices are conventional but inconvenient and unsightly.

An object :of my invention is to kprovide Ia suitable heating element which can be disposed within the toilet tank and which will maintain the water in .the tank at such a temperature `that condensation will not collect upon the outer surface of the tank. The water which is brought into the tank from :the Well at a temperature of, for example, 50 F., will be brought up to room temperature 4or thereabouts very quickly and will be kept at such temperature yand this will prevent the collection of droplets tof water :on the outer surface of the tank.

-An important feature is that the heating element is simple, inexpensive, and easily adapted for attachment to a .tank or removal therefrom as the same may be desired for use.

Another important feature is that my improved heating element is so designed that it is hermetically sealed against the entrance of water thereinto and it is safe and economical in use. v

More particularly an object is .the provision of such a heating element which will function .to heat the water in the lower third portion .of the tank and such water will circulate and maintain a generally even temperature throughout ,the tank and the capacity of the heating element is such `that it will not bring the water to a temperature which will cause evaporation or loss thereof but will normally Imaintain `the average quantity of water in the tank at .the desired temperature.

Another object is the provision of -a heating element which has been particularly designed and constructed so that the heating wires themselves are completely protected and electrically insulated within lthe element and are so disposed and arranged that Ithe lower portion of the element which will be positioned adjacent to the bottom 4of the tank is' brought to a relatively high temperature, Yand the upper portion of the element which is disnosed a acent to 4the iop of the tank within the water therein is brought to a relatively lower temperature.

The heating element is so constructed .that the interior heating wires themselves are fully and completely insulated against any bridging thereacross `and the heating wires are also hermetically sealed within .the interior of the element.

Other objects, advantages and meritorious features of nited States Patent ICC the construction will more fully appear from the following description, claims, and accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation partly broken away of the toilet tank provided with my improved heating element;

Fig. 2 is an elevation partly broken away of the heating element itself;

Fig. 3 is ya vertical sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View .taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3;.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view .taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 7 7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is' a horizontal sectional View .taken on line 8 8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary elevation of a portion of one of the heating wires;

Fig. l0 is a horizontal .sectional view .taken on line l0 10 of Fig. 2; `and Fig. l1 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 11 1=1 of Fig. l0.

In the drawings a toilet tank is indicated by the numeral 20. Such tank is of any convention-al construction. Such a tank as normally provided for household use ordinarily holds 3 to 4 gallons of water Aor thereabouts When-such equipment is used in the country in connection with water supplied from a well, such water supply is Ifrequently at a low temperature of approximately7 50 F. In the summer, under certain conditions, condensation forms on the outer wall of the tank and drops down on the floor with resulting damage to the Hoor and the iloor covering. Such condensation is due to the low temperature of the water within `the interior of the tank as compared with the temperature of .the atmosphere in the room and .the moisture therein. My invention vis the provision of an improved heating element which may be readily attached to the ztank so that the element itself is suspended within the interior of -the tank and is' designed to be coupled with an electric outlet. The element heats the Water in the tank and it is so constructed :that it will bring the water Within the .tank Within the temperature of F. or thereabouts in an hour or less. Due -to Ithe quantity of water in the tank, water will not be heated to a point of vapori zation and it will be normally maintained at approximately room temperture.

The element itself comprises a `tubular assembly indicated generally in the drawings as 22, having connected therewith an electric cord 24 which terminates in an electric connection 26 adapted to be connected as desired with a suitable wall outlet.

The heating element assembly 22 consists of a metal tube 28 which may 'ce formed of steel or other suitable heat-conducting, water-resisting metal. This tube 28 is tted interioriy with a metal plug 29 and the end wall of the tube is formed thereabout as shown in Fig. 6 and the opening 31 which results from its formation is filled with suitable brazng metal which is brazed to the plug 29 so that the end of the tube is hermetically sealed. Within this tube .the electric heating wires themselves are disposed as hereinafter described.

The upper end of the tube is received over the end of the electric cord 2.4i and is securely fastened to the exterior of the cord as by clamping the metal tube as at .3Q around into the rubber covering of the cord in such a manner as to provide a hermetically sealed connection between the cord and the tube, all as shown in Fig. 3. To suspend the heating element Within the interior of a toilet tank as shown in Fig. l, there is provided a metal clip which has .a tubular portion 32 that is adapted to grippingly embrace the upper end of the tube as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Such gripping tubular portion may be provided with an indentation 34 adapted to be received within any one of the corrugations 30 about the upper end of the tube as shown in Figs. 2 and ll, to securely support the tube and for adjustment or the clip lengthwise of the tube from one corrugation to another. This clip has a hanger portion 36 which is removably receivable over the upper margin of the wall of the water tank as shown in Fig. l so that the tube is suspended therein with the lower end of the tube disposed closely adjacent to but normally spaced from the bottom wall of the tank as shown in Fig. l.

Within the lower end of the metal tube there is disposed a ceramic shell or tube 38 which seats at its lower end upon the plug 29. Within this ceramic tube is disposed a ceramic core di?. A tine electric wire is wound about the surface of this cylindrical core in a succession of closely spaced spirals as shown in exaggerated form in Fig. 6. Actually these spirals are closely wound about the core so as to provide a suticient numbex of windings within the limited space but in such a manner as to insulate the successive spirals and prevent bridging thereof. The lower end of the core is provided with a dianietrical kerf i4 shown in Fig. 6 and the tine metal electric winding wire, which may be chrome nickel wire, is led through such kerf and up through an axial passageway 46 formed in the core as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. it has been found that for an installation of the character herein described, a chrome nickel wire of .008l is normally satisfactory for a Q-watt system. Obviously this might be varied, depending upon the voltage employed.

ln order to reduce the temperature of the element at a point approximating the upper end portion of the core, it will be noted that the winding wire 42 is overlapped throughout its upper end portion with a second winding wire 43. This overlapping lead 43 overlaps the lead wire 42, not only throughout the uppermost spirals of the wire 42 which encircle the core, but also throughout the upper end of the lead of the wire 42 which extends axially through the core as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. lt will also be noted that throughout this overlapping lead wire portion of the core the encircling spirals are spaced further apart than at the lower end of the core. The View in Fig. 6 is exaggerated in that the coils would be spaced closer together than there shown. The spacing of the coils at the lower end would be approximately the diameter of the wire lead itself.

In the fabrication of the structure, when the insulating core ritt has been wound with the tine wire properly spaced, it is dipped into a quick-setting liquid electric cement which `fixes it permanently in position and prevents shitting of the spirals upon the core. To further hold the winding in place, suitable insulating adhesive tape, such as adhesive glass cloth tape 50, is wound about the upper end ot the core and about the winding lead thereover, securely fastening the same in position.

The overlapped wires 42 and 43 are extended up on opposite sides of a ceramic spacer block and inserted within connector tubes formed of suitable conductive metal and indicated in Figs. 8 and 9 as 5d. lnto the opposite ends of these tubes 54 are inserted electric lead wires 60 of larger diameter and connection is made between these lead wires 60 and the overlapped wires 42 and i3 through the metal tubes 5d. These tubes 5d are ilattened and welded together through the lead wires so as to form a satisfactory electrical connection. rthe lead wires 60 may have for an installation such as is described a diameter of j/ ,2 and they extend above the spacer block S2 through two passageways formed in a ceramic core block 62 as shown in Fig. 5.

Above the ceramic core block 62 these lead wires 60 extend yon opposite sides of a spacer insulating block 64 and are there connected with the lead wires 66 that extend through the electric cord 24. The insulation 68 is stripped oir the ends of these wires 66. These lead wires themselves are formed of a plurality of tine wires. The connected ends of the lead wires 60 and 66 are wrapped by suitable adhesive insulating tape 70 such as glass cloth tape as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The ceramic block 62 from which the lead wires 60 extend is disposed immediately above the ceramic tube 38 as shown in Fig. 6. The ceramic tube 3S which receives the insulating core 40 and the spacer block 52 is completely filled outside of such core and block and about the electric winding with suitable electric cement indicated as 72 and as shown in Fig. 6.

In the operation of the device the lower end of the heating element which lapproximates that lower portion of the core di) about which the ne lead wire 42 is closely wound 4in a Isingle strand is the portion which `attains the high temperature. It may attain a temperature of 800 or 900 F. Iand the lower third, or 25% of the outer steel tube 28, is brought to such a high temperature within the tank. This temperature is rapidly reduced throughout the upper portion of the element. Throughout the upper `end of the core 40 the spirals are far ther apart and the overlapping lead wire `48 as it overlaps the Wire 42 results in a reduction in temperature and such is still further reduced -as connection is made with the lead wires 60 which extend through the core 62 as hereinabove described. As a result the upper end of the heating element is at 'a relatively low itemperature. The water within the tank is heated throughout the lower layers thereof and produces a heat circulation within the tank wh-ich eventually brings the water therein to a temperature approximately that of the room, `and because of the construction of the element as -described and the amount of Water normally retained within the tank, such temperature is not increased appreciably above room temperature. As a result the water within the tank is maintained at such a temperature that condensation does not form upon the outer surface of the tank.

What I claim is:

1. An electric heating element comprising, in combination, Ia heat Iconducting metal tube hermetically closed at one end, an electric conductor cord having two electric leads :and having one end received within the opposite end of the tube with the two leads disposed therein, said v tube 4being hermetically sealed about the cord, an electric insulating core element disposed within the closed end portion of the tube, an electric heating wire wound about the insulating core element in a succession of spirals and having its two ends terminating above the core and electrically connected with the two leads of the electric conductor cord, said electric heating wire being so spirally wound about the insulating core that successive spirals are insulated from `e-ach other rand so as to provide one section of spiral windings about the core adjacent to the Iclosed end of the metal tube throughout which section successive spirals lare disposed lin close proximity to each other, and a second section of spiral windings more remote from lthe closed end of the tube than the rst section and throughout which `second section successive spirals are disposed substantially `further apart than the successive spirals are throughout the tirst section.

2. An elect-ric heating element comprising, in combination, a heat conducting metal tube hermetically sealed at one end, an electric conductor 'cord having one end received within the opposite end of the tube and provided `with two electric leads terminating within the tube, said tube being hermetic-ally sealed about said cord, an electric insulating core element disposed within the closed end of the tube, an electric heating wire wound in a succession of spirals about the insulating `core and having its two ends termin-ating above the core, said electric heating wire so lspirally wound about the Icore that successive spirals are insulated from each other and so as to provide 1a succession of spiral windings adjacent the closed end of the metal tube throughout which section successive spirals are disposed in close proximity to each other and a second section of spiral windings more remote lfrom the closed end -of the tube than the iirst section and throughout which second section successive spirals are disposed substantially further yapart than the successive spirals of the Ifirst section, two electric conductor wires disposed Within the tube one of which yconductor wires ,is `connected at one end with one of the electric leads of the conductor cord and connected at the opposite end with one end of the electric heating wire, the other electric conductor wire being connected at one end with the other -electric lead of the electric conductor cord :and connected -a-t the opposite end with the other end of the electric heating wire, that end of that electric conductor wire which is Iconnected with the spiral wind-ing end of the electric heating wire being connected therewith and extending therealong in overlapping relationship through- `out the second section of `spiral windings only.

3. An electric heating element as `defined in claim 2 characterized in that a tube of insulating material is dis- 20 posed within the closed end of the metal tube surrounding the insulating core and spaced therefrom, and further characterized in that electric insulating material is disposed and xed within said insulating tube surrounding rthe electric heating wire spir-ally wound about the insulating Aoor-e positioning said electric heating wire thereabout, and characterized further in that the -core is provided with an axial passageway therethrough and one end of the electric heating Wire extends through `said passageway and terminates above the core, and characterized further in that the electric conductor wire which is connected with the end of the heating wire which eX- tends through the laxial passageway of the core extends into `such passageway land overlaps the heating wire throughout the length of said second lsection of spirals only.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,813,270 Benedict July 7, -1931 1,834,014 Arnold Dec. 1, 193'1 .2,432,169 Morgan et al. Dec. 9, 1947 2,508,512 Grinde May 23, 1950 

